L.A. Takedown (1989)

One of my all time favorites.

Better Late Then Never

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

One might think that this is by far inferior to Heat, the second attempt Mann got at this story, with a larger budget, longer running time and better(and definitely more well-known) actors. Comparisons are impossible to avoid, due to how well-known, popular, and, frankly, excellent the latter of these versions is. And yes, it is greater than this; Michael learned from his experiences making this one, and having watched one of these doesn't mean that it's a waste of time to pursue the other one, no, quite the opposite. And this isn't anywhere near as poor as could be feared or maybe even expected. The performances are nicely done, in a lot of the cases. The male leads do well, and are good casting choices, and that extends beyond those two. Yes, you can tell that this was produced for TV, but it's not as bad as with other movies of that type. The action is pretty decent. This gets some of the drama, and does actually develop characters on both sides of the law. The cinematography and editing are well-done. Pacing is fair. This is only 90 minutes, so about half of what the '95 effort is, and thus can't manage the same level of complexity. Meanwhile, it does well with what it's got. The DVD has biographies and a trailer. I recommend this to anyone who has or is considering watching the famed remake of this. 6/10

Since I'm a fan of "Heat" I took the time to watch the preliminary material which Michael Mann created after long-lasting struggle to make his dream movie come true. Mann decided that he waited enough for a big-time production and to use this great script for TV release with the intention to continue it to a TV series.But, let's get to the point...1. Pros:1.1 I've read the 1994 revision of the script, which included unrealized shots and dialogue in the 1995's "Heat". The good thing about "L.A. Takedown" is that you have the chance to see some of those good lines and additional storyline, which serves as a bonus to what you already saw in "Heat". 1.2. Directing was very decent, but anyway I wouldn't recognize it that Mann stays behind it if I didn't knew already.1.3 You can see the growth from the original version to the remake as Heat. Comparing LA Takedown to Heat you can recognize the development and decisions which Mann took in order to make "Heat" such a classic that it is.2. Cons: 2.1 Poor Cast & Acting. Since it is TV low budget movie I guess we couldn't expect more but this was some "piece of work". Hanna's character was developed Okay, but that's all. Patrick McLaren (a.k.a. Neil in Heat) was a complete nightmare, it doesn't correspond to the image you can visualize in the script. I know that the benchmark is too high having such a great cast for Heat - comparison is out of the question.. Nevertheless those wanna-be actors on LA Takedown doesn't even deserve to be chosen for a porn movie with a storyline...3. Bottom line: if you are a fan of "Heat" and Michael Mann - see it for the above mentioned pros.. It's like looking at the draft of Mona Lisa or some other masterpiece - so it is kinda of interesting... If you are not a fan - then it is a waste of time.

I finally got a hold of a copy of this (deliberately?) forgotten made-for-TV film. A busted NBC pilot, it was remade by Michael Mann six years later with major studio backing and high-calibre star support. Gotta give Mann some credit,few filmmakers would have the gall to bother with such an effort. "Heat" is a scene-for-scene, frame-by-frame remake, so watching this was a lot of fun. LAT is sort of a scrappier kid brother version to the elegant, but soulless remake. Its far more frenzied/hyper. It has the look and feel of a William Friedkin film. (Mann has got the carreer Freidkin deserves) And it oozes with late 80s styles and fashion. The performances are fine, especially the two leads. At least they're more naturalistic and less self conscious than the DeNiro/Pacino team. Action wise, LAT holds out well to its bloated remake, including the bank shootout. This film even shows a little more concern for the "collateral damage" (i.e cops and civilians) than '95 version. Not a masterpiece, but a very good action flik with heart and moxie.

This is the exact same story as the movie HEAT staring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Val Kilmer. The primary difference between LA Takedown and HEAT is the fact that LA Takedown doesn't drag on for 172 minutes. Even though it was a made for TV movie, it had a great plot, the actors did a great job, and it was much more fast paced when compared to HEAT. I still have it on video from when I videotaped it the first time it was on TV. I own HEAT on DVD, but if given the choice I would rather watch LA Takedown. I highly recommend it if you have an opportunity to watch it.